Our conceptions of work have shifted, and work is more about finding meaning and independence. Companies that refuse to offer flexible, autonomous, and creative work environments, won’t be able to attract the best people.

Whether you’re designing software or real-world space, the right design patterns are key to usability. So GitHubbers dug into a 1977 architecture treatise on community pattern language to get ideas, coming up with concepts like "coder caves" which will be a feature of the new office. We bought the book on Amazon and mined it for more ideas—here’s what we found.

Startups and corporations alike devote endless time, vast resources, and much brainpower to try to foster innovation. But as Scott Chacon, CIO of GitHub, explains, it should be simple—find your frustration and figure out how best to fix it.